Potions Master
by Laurie Whitlock
Summary: Jamie just started at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and has trouble in Potions. Severus Snape is a third year. Will her charm that goes wrong be the thing to bring them together? FAGE-3some for ThatGirlWithThatSmile AU


**Ficawesome Gift Exchange- 3some**

**Title: Potions Master**

**Written for: ThatGirlWithThatSmile**

**Written By: LaurieWhitlock**

**Rating: T**

**Beta: MzBionic**

**Prompt used: It started with a charm. **

**Summary: Jamie just started Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She has trouble in only one class... potions. Severus Snape, in his third year at Hogwarts, is already a great potions master. Will her charm that goes wrong be the thing to bring them together?**

**Pairing: Severus Snape/ OC Jamie**

**AU**

**A/N: Everything belongs to the very talented J.K. Rowling. I own nothing nor do I ever claim to. A big hug and many thanks to my beta for helping me out with this. **

Jamie's POV

It was my first day at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and I was both nervous and excited. Ever since my parents told me that I was a witch and all it entailed, I have been waiting for my eleventh birthday to come. It was magical the way that we traveled to Hogwarts, first it was by train at King's Cross Station (ok not so magical but it was still cool as I've never been on a train before) which we had to walk threw the wall between platforms 9 and 10; it was platform 9 ¾ that I needed. Then when we got to Hogwarts, the gamekeeper Hagrid took us across the black lake by boats that didn't need someone to paddle. When the castle came into view I was in awe at how big and beautiful it was. We met Professor McGonagall first and she led us to a little room off of the Great Hall and told us to wait till she comes back and collects us. She then left and everyone started to talk at once, some were nervous at what was going to happen while other were trying to figure out how we were sorted into our houses. About five minutes later Professor McGonagall came back and escorted us into the Great Hall and up to the teacher's table where she told us to line up in a single file. She then placed a battered witch's hat that was sitting on a stool in front of the teacher's table and stepped back. After a few minutes the hat began to give a speech about what each of the houses looked for in their students. When the hat's speech was over one by one Professor McGonagall called everyone up, she placed the hat on their heads and after a few minutes a house was called out. When she finally got to my name I walked calmly up to the stool and sat down, Professor McGonagall placed the hat on my head and I was sorted into Slytherin. I made my way over towards my fellow housemates; they were cheering but not as loudly as the other houses. It was still cheering though. I was uncertain how I would like being in Slytherin but like I was always told you can't judge a book by its cover and I guess that saying applied to the different houses.

I sat down beside a boy with long black hair and a huge nose. He said a quiet hello to me but that was it. Once the Sorting Ceremony was over and Professor Dumbledore gave his speech, the feast magically appeared on our plates. Everything looked so yummy; I hadn't realized how hungry I was until this moment. I was having a hard time trying to figure out what I wanted, so I decided to have a bit of everything.

The days at Hogwarts passed rather quickly and we were soon entering October. I loved my classes and I was doing well in all of them expect for one... Potions. I was really having trouble in the class. Professor Slughorn had suggested that I come in for extra help on the weekends. I had agreed but begged him to not tell anyone; he had agreed to that. So every Saturday I had to go see Professor Slughorn and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't seem to get the hang of mixing potions. Christmas came and I was excited to go home and see my parents but what I was not excited to do was hand over the note that was sent for them about my lack luster skills in Potions. I wasn't sure of what the note said and that made me even more nervous.

They were not as bad as I thought they would be about my poor grade. They encouraged me not to give up, I told them I wouldn't. I spent Christmas break working on my potions but I still wasn't brewing them right. Once the Christmas break was over I went back to working with Professor Slughorn every Saturday. I was gradually getting better but I was a long ways from a passing grade.

I was in class one day after everyone else had left for lunch, working on a potion to cure boils. I had it right, up until I grabbed the wrong ingredient with out realizing it; which resulted in the potion bubbling up and streaking my robes with purple gunk. I heard someone chuckle and looked up to see the long haired, big nosed third year that I had seen on my first day. I just glared at him and turned back trying to get the potion off my robes.

"You know you would do well to pay attention to the ingredients more closely." He said with a sneer.

"Yeah, thanks I knew that already."

"So why didn't you pay closer attention?"

"Because I thought that I had all the right ingredients in front of me, and I was looking at my book."

I heard him mumble _first year_ under his breath and that really ticked me off.

"Who do you think you are, judging me because I'm not perfect at potions?"

"I happen to be Severus Snape, the best potions master in the third year"

"Well aren't we Mr. High and Mighty and how the bloody hell is a third year so good at potions?"

"I happen to have read all the books on potions and have master the art of doing it correctly"

I just snorted and he just stared at me. I gathered all of my things and stormed out of the room. I went down to the Great Hall so that I could grab some lunch. I made sure that no one saw the spilled potion on my robes as I made my way to my seat.

Soon it was time for charms. Professor Flitwick told our class last meeting that the third year students would be joining us. Why, he didn't say. Once lunch was over I made my way to the charms corridor to join the queue that was already there. Professor Flitwick let us in and just before he started to speak, the third years walked in. We all turned in our seats to gawk at the new arrivals and that's when I saw_**him**_**.** I couldn't believe that I had to have a class with him. I wasn't that bad in this class but still if he had to sit with me, then I was sure that I was bound to screw up some how.

Professor Flitwick directed the students to go and sit with first years who had an empty chair beside them, I was one of them. I was hoping against hope that he wouldn't sit by me and it seemed that he was feeling the same way. He was looking all over the class trying to see if there was anywhere else to sit, but there didn't seem to be. Professor Flitwick told Snape to come and sit by me. Snape just gave a curt nod to Professor Flitwick, and walked as slowly as he could to the back of the class where the empty chair was. He sat down and I was glad that he didn't make some sort of comment towards me.

Professor Flitwick started the class and finally told us all why the third years were here. It seems that Professor Dumbledore wanted to try out a new teaching method, where he gets the third years to interact with the firsts and mentor them. It was a trial run to see how it would go. Professor Flitwick told us that we would be practicing the levitation charm; Wingardium Leviosa while the third years would be practicing the silencing charm; Silencio. He taught the incantation to both of the charms and how to wave your wand the proper way when saying the charm and then set us to work.

All around us you could here different students saying either Wingardium Leviosa or Silencio. When I said Wingardium Leviosa I was excited when I was able to get my quill to hover on the first shot. Then I went on to get other objects to hover; I started out with light things and then moved to heavier things. I had just gotten my 'Standard Book of Spells' to hover when I heard a girl in my year, Elizabeth, try Silencio. I was paying attention to her to see if she was going to be able to do it, without realizing that I still had the book in the air. Elizabeth was able to silence the frog in front of her. I clapped along with the others and that's when I heard a _thunk_.

I looked in the direction of the noise with a shocked expression on my face only to see that my book had landed on Snape's head. The rest of the class turned to look as well, they saw my face and Snape's, then burst out laughing. It took Professor Flitwick shooting off sparks from his wand to get the class' attention. Snape raised his hand as if in slow motion to remove the book from atop his head. He turned to me with a glare on his face and handed me the book. I stuttered out an apology to him as he just continued to glare at me.

Professor Flitwick came over to us and told me that he would like me to stay after class to talk to him. Once class was over and everyone left, I went over to Professor Flitwick's desk and he said to me in his squeaky little voice, "I think that it would be best if I pair you up with someone to help you. You are adjusting well but I think that some extra guidance and help in your classes might be beneficial to you, Jamie."

"Yes sir."

"I'll let you know by next week who I think would be best for you."

"Thank you sir."

"Off you go now."

I went back to my desk and gathered my things then left for dinner. The week flew by; thankfully there were no more accidents. I was still made fun of but I didn't let it get to me. After lunch, like always on a Monday, I went to join the queue outside of Charms. We all entered and this time thankfully the third years wouldn't be joining us. Class went well and just before it ended Professor Flitwick asked me to stay behind again. I knew this time what he wanted. I nodded my head.

I hoped that I would get a girl, someone _cool_ that I could look up to. When class was over I waited to see Professor Flitwick. Once all of the students were gone he turned to me, "I've talked it over with Professor Dumbledore and he thinks that because you are also having trouble in potions that we should set you up with someone who is good in that class as well." I just nodded my head and he went on. "I have decided to pair you with Severus Snape"

I couldn't believe that I was going to be paired with _**him**_.

"Sir isn't there someone else that you can pair me with?"

"I know that you've had some trouble with him last week but seeing as how he is the best Slytherin third year at potions, Professor Dumbledore thinks the he will be the best at helping you." I knew that there was no arguing with him or Professor Dumbledore, for that matter. So I just nodded my head. "Mr. Snape has already been informed about this, so I assume that when you get back to your common rooms he will no doubt want to talk with you."

"Yes sir."

"Off you go then"

I nodded my head again and made my way out of the classroom, I already had my stuff with me so I didn't need to go about getting it. I made my way to the Great Hall to have dinner, hoping that I wouldn't run into Snape there. I was in luck as he was sitting at the other end of the table surrounded by other students and didn't see me. I sat down and ate my supper, wondering what his reaction was going to be the next time he saw me.

Once I was finished eating, I made my way to the common room because I had to get started on my homework. I was sitting at one of the tables by the fireplace working on my astrology chart when a book was thrown onto the table. I looked up and it was _**him**_; he didn't look very happy. He pulled out the chair and sat down. I didn't say anything waiting for him to speak first. After a few tense minutes he spoke. "Look, I'm in no way happy about this. I don't want to have to babysit a flaming first year but it's Dumbledore's orders and I have to follow them, but I won't like it."

"Well it's not like I begged to be paired with you. I'd rather have a girl so that it's easier to talk to her. I even tried to get someone else but because you are the best in potions of the third years and I'm having trouble in it, you are the only option."

"Right, well this is how it's going to work; we will never be seen together after this little talk. We will go to potions class separately and we will not tell anyone what we are doing. We will meet every Tuesday and Thursday."

"Agreed. Starting this week?"

"Yes."

"Alright then."

With a nod of his head he got up and walked away. I over heard some people asking him what the talk with me was all about. Snape's reply was that he was talking to me about the book incident. I sighed and went back to my homework. The first lesson with him would be in 2 days and I wasn't looking forward to it.

The following day passed the same as usual, nothing exciting happened. Thursday morning dawned cold; there was frost on the ground. Hagrid could be seen defrosting the broomsticks that were used for flying lessons. I got dressed and made my way down to the Great Hall for breakfast. I wondered how exactly I was supposed to know when I was to meet Snape because he never said. I finished breakfast and then headed off for my first class.

Classes passed in a blur. I went for lunch and while I was eating, a passing second year dropped a piece of parchment next to me. I wondered if it was meant to be dropped or not. I looked down at the parchment and saw my name scrawled across it. I opened it up and saw that it was the time to meet Snape in the potions class. I folded it up again and threw it in my bag. I finished eating lunch and then made my way to my first afternoon class.

My afternoon classes passed the same as the morning ones did. When I finished dinner, I walked down to the potions corridor and entered the classroom. Snape wasn't there yet, so I took out my cauldron and potions book. I sat down and began to read the potion that we had been working on in class. I was doing everything according to the directions but something still wasn't going right. I had just finished reading the potion for a second time when _**he **_walked in.

He gave me a curt nod and then said, "I want you to brew the potion as you normally do during class and I'll watch to see what you're doing wrong." I just nodded and began to brew the potion. About half way through Snape spoke. "There is your problem."

"What?"

"When it says to 'stir for an amount of minutes' you don't do the whole time, or you add in an extra stir or forget a stir."

"So that's my problem?"

"Obviously." He replied in a bored tone.

"I thought that all the other times I was doing the right amount of stir in the set time limit but I guess I wasn't." He cleared away the potion with a wave of his wand and came to stand nearer to me. He had previously stood at the desk in front of the one I was working at.

"Now begin again and this time I'll let you know when to stop."

I nodded my head and began the potion again. And this try, by the time that I finished the potion, I had gotten it right. All thanks to Snape reminding me to stop stirring. I was glad that I was finally able to brew a potion properly. I wondered why Professor Slughorn had never caught what I was doing wrong. When I thought back to our Saturday classes, he was always too busy eating candied pineapple from Honeyduke's and drinking oak matured mead from Madame Rosmerta's.

As the months passed, I got better at potions with Snape's help and I was even able to do the steps of the potions in the right amount of time without him saying anything. Professor Slughorn was happy with my progress and I got the feeling that he thought it was all his doing. While having breakfast one morning, my owl dropped off a letter for me. I opened it up to see that it was a letter from my parents congratulating me on my improved potions grade.

The more time that I spent with Severus, the more I started to like him. He really wasn't that bad of a guy once you got to know him, but he was a very guarded person. I found it was because of all the people that had teased him about his looks. I will admit when we first met I noticed his hair was very greasy but the more time we spent together; the more his hair became less greasy. While working on a potion one day, Severus surprised me by asking if I wanted to have lunch with him. I couldn't believe that he actually wanted to be seen outside of the classroom with me. I mean all of this time no one knew that we even met twice a week. I agreed and he asked if tomorrow would be good, I told him that I would meet him in the Great Hall.

I had trouble sleeping when I went to bed and I couldn't figure out if I was nervous about the idea of doing something with Severus outside of learning potions or if I was scared that he was going to do something to embarrass me in front of the whole school. Or maybe he liked me, like really liked me. That was when I realized that I really liked him. All of these thoughts were going around and around in my head all night. I woke up the next morning with bags under my eyes from lack of sleep. I wasn't very attentive in my morning classes, worrying about what was going to happen at lunch that I had to ask my Elizabeth to tell me what was going on in the classes.

By the time lunch rolled around I had butterflies in my stomach and I felt like I was going to be sick. I asked Professor Flitwick if I could use the restroom. He told me that I could and to take my things since class would be ending soon; there was no point in coming back to class, that I might as well just go to the Great Hall. I nodded my head and once I left the classroom, I sprinted to the nearest girls' toilets. I crashed through the doors, straight to the sink. I dropped my bag and placed my hands on either side of the sink, bracing myself in case I was going to be sick. The bell rang signaling the end of the morning classes and I knew that I had to face whatever was going to happen. I splashed some water on my face and after a couple of deep breaths; I picked up my bag and walked out of the toilets.

I got to the Great Hall and there was Severus, sitting at the end of the table, no one around him, a rare smile on his face as soon as he saw me. When I saw his smile, I smiled back and didn't feel like I was going to be sick any more. I walked over and sat down across from him. He asked how I was. I told him that I was fine but he noticed the bags under my eyes and asked if I had had a rough night. I told him that I did and he wanted to know why. I wasn't sure what to tell him, the truth or a lie. I looked into his eyes and before I realized what I was doing, I blurted out part of the truth. He was shocked at what I thought and told me that he would never do something like that to me, because he liked me.

For the rest of lunch we talked and laughed. It was so great to be talking about things other then potions. All too soon, the bell rang signaling the beginning of our afternoon classes. I was bummed that lunch was over. I sighed and got up; Severus came and walked with me out of the Great Hall. We talked some more but as we got to the main staircase I knew that we really did have to part ways. Before I left, Severus said that he had a good time and asked if I wanted to have lunch with him again. I agreed and then with a wave, he took off to his first afternoon class. For the rest of the afternoon I had a big smile on my face and people wondered what was up with me but I kept telling them it was nothing.

The days flew by and the more time I spent with Severus, the more I was falling for him. I kept wondering if he felt the same way towards me. There were days that I thought that he did but other days I thought, how could he really like me when I was nothing but a 'flaming first year' as he so eloquently put it not so long ago? I wanted to know what he really thought but I didn't want to come out and ask him. There were days that I longed to hold his hand but was not brave enough to just reach out and take it.

The end of the year was quickly approaching and I was studying my behind off, so that I would be able to pass the end of the year exams with flying colors. Severus had increased my lessons to three times a week in order to prepare. I was glad that I was getting much better and I had a glimmer of hope that I was actually going to pass my potions exam. I knew that I wouldn't be getting an 'O' for outstanding but that didn't bother me.

It was the last night I was able to study for potions because the test was first thing in the morning. Severus was trying to get me to brew a second year potion and it was going well. But before I knew it, I added the wrong ingredient because I was so stressed. I was sure that Severus was going to yell at me but he didn't. He surprised me by taking my hand in his and pulling me into a hug.

He was whispering words of comfort in my ear. Once I was calmed down, he didn't let me go. He just held me. I couldn't believe that after all of the time wanting to be this close to him, it was finally happening. The only problem was I didn't know in what mind set this was happening. As someone comforting a sibling or someone comforting a person that they really, really liked. After a few minutes he pulled back from me and placed a kiss on my forehead. His lips were so soft and it was like a spark was set off when his lips touched my skin. I looked up into his eyes and couldn't figure out the emotions that were playing in them. He finally spoke and told me that I didn't have to be stressed for putting in the wrong ingredient, he was glad that up until that point I was doing so well with a second year potion.

I knew I had to ask him if he fancied me or not because if I didn't, it was just going to do me head in. I took a deep breath, "I need to know Severus..."

"What's that Jamie?"

With a bit of hesitancy I finally replied. "Do you fancy me?"

"Yes."

At first I was ecstatic but when he made no movement or comment after that I had to make him clarify. "In what way?"

"Huh?" He looked a bit perturbed.

I really wasn't sure as to how I should put this, but if I didn't say it soon, I never would. "As a sister, friend or maybe something more?"

"Well... um..." His answer deflated me. There it was. I had a stupid school girl crush that wasn't reciprocated.

"It's alright you don't need to say anything." I untangled myself from him and made to walk out of the class but Severus was having nothing of that. He pulled me back to him by my arm until I was flush against his chest. I wasn't sure what he was going to do and didn't know if I should be scared or excited. With his other hand he ran his fingers through my hair.

"Now where do you think you are going?"

"Um..."

"That's what I thought. Now would you like me to answer your question or not?"

"I would like to know the answer, please?" I couldn't help but whine a bit while saying please. I really wanted to know, but at the same time I didn't.

"At first I despised you because you were a first year that not only had embarrassed me with a simple charm but I had to spend my time tutoring. As time went on I started to like you more. First it was as a friend but somewhere along the way it's got to a point where I don't see you as a friend anymore."

"So you mean you like me. You like-like me?"

"Yes Jamie, I do."

"It doesn't matter that I'm two years younger then you?"

"No, it doesn't."

I beamed upon hearing that. He smiled back at me and gave me a hug. He pulled back and placed a kiss on my cheek. With a wave of his wand and a mumbled Tergeo the mess was cleaned up. "Come on lets get out of here."

I nodded my head and we walked out of the classroom hand in hand.


End file.
